SNIDER: Redskins need to read between lines on quarterbacks

There’s nothing like the annual tradition of throwing out smoke screens and badmouthing quarterbacks ahead of the NFL Draft.

Kyler Murray supposedly doesn’t work hard enough or even want to play football. He may be a little too small, too.

Dwayne Haskins is too inexperienced. He doesn’t see the field well, needs better footwork and his ball placement could be better.

Drew Lock isn’t vocal enough to be a leader. He has a gunslinger mentality and forces too many throws.

Daniel Jones is good at many things, but not great at some things.

Yet, all Murray does is win, and will surely be selected first overall by Arizona in Thursday’s draft. All four passers could be gone before the Washington Redskins pick 15th overall. The NFL can’t resist quarterbacks, no matter their imperfections. Passers are the addictive drug among front offices, despite knowing half of all quarterbacks never achieve much in the NFL.

The Redskins front office stares at the board, needing a passer but not sure themselves if they’ll take one. Given that senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams was a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and coach Jay Gruden was a good Arena League quarterback, you’d think the pair could decide whether there’s someone worth the first round pick. Yet, owner Dan Snyder, who never spent one day on an NFL field, may trump the staff’s opinion like he has before.

Thursday night will be interesting.

Don’t listen to the wind over the next day. It’s all hot air coming from NFL front offices trying to fool their brethren. It’s the #FakeNews of the NFL, because just maybe badmouthing a player gets another team to pass on him and let the desired player fall to another team. It happens all the time at all the positions. (See Derrius Guice last year.)

Maybe the Redskins can’t resist and find a passer, if not in the first round then by the second. And maybe they’ll even move up to do so. But trying to read the room is like deciphering Latin lettering on buildings. Good luck with that.

Rick Snider has covered Washington sports since 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks.